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The purpose of this paper is to survey, systemize and analyse the e‐readiness of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) and determine which new technologies can be applied to build a digital business ecosystem (DBE) for SMEs. Based on the results of a survey, the authors' objectives are to propose an adequate solution system that uses open source solutions for the SME through the development of a prototype based on a DBE concept.

On the resulting principal components, the authors applied the variance analysis and built two LISREL (a linear structural equation system involving multiple indicators of unmeasured variables) models. LISREL can handle a wide array of problems and models. Based on a survey, an open source prototype solution was developed based on DBE philosophy.

The authors defined different clusters. An SME can then find within the clusters further methods that could be important for their business. The authors developed two LISREL models, aiming to examine the factors that impact the use of the community applications and how they impact them, as well as the factors that impact the increase of the on‐line sales. Based on the survey, a prototype system was designed and created that can be used for the set‐up of digital business networks.

The paper proposes an adequate solution system that uses open source solutions for the SMEs through the development of a prototype based on a DBE concept.

Building DBEs helps to create and operate value chains that help enterprises to extend their markets. Through their help, the inquirers and buyers get to know the elements of the value chain, and can therefore make decisions much easier. The paper shows how to define e‐attributes of SMEs and clusters to build and use a DBE system for them.

Although government investments in IT is growing, it is unclear how and what kind of IT investments lead to desirable E-Government performance. Several studies pertaining to the business value of IT have developed and tested frameworks for IT infrastructure, IT capability and business performance. However, E-Government-related IT investment outcomes cannot be measured by profits and hence requires a separate investigation. E-Government research using theoretical approach has been reported as very scarce in previous studies. This research aims to bridge the gap by developing a model to study IT infrastructure capability and E-Government performance in the emerging context of new IT service delivery models.

This paper follows a case study method in this research with a priori conceptual framework. The data were collected following an interview method used for deductive theory building.

The results identified a positive relationship between IT assets and IT infrastructure performance in the presence of service delivery channels and an anticipation of a positive influence of infrastructure performance variables on IT capability which in turn shows positive effect on E-Government performance.

Because the study followed a qualitative approach, the findings from this study are not useful for statistical generalization. However, the analytical framework provides sufficient ground to test E-Government performance.

The study provides insights in the choice of IT infrastructure elements fitting an E-Government strategy.

This study provides an integrated framework for measuring E-Government performance, thereby making deployment of IT infrastructure accountable both in terms of IT performance and IT capability. This in turn will lead to improvement in citizen services.

This paper builds on the existing literature on IT assets, IT infrastructure performance, IT infrastructure capability and applies to the E-Government domain.

This paper aims to review the challenges of urban foresight via an analytical method: apply this to the city demonstrations on the UK Foresight Future of Cities: and explore the implications for ways forward.

The methodology is based on the principles of co-evolutionary complex systems, a newly developed toolkit of “synergistic mapping and design”, and its application in a “synergy foresight” method.

The UK Foresight Future of Cities is work in progress, but some early lessons are emerging – the need for transparency in foresight method – and the wider context of strategic policy intelligence.

The paper has practical recommendations, and a set of propositions, (under active discussion in 2015), which are based on the analysis.

The paper aims to demonstrate an application of “synergy foresight” with wide benefits for cities and the communities within them.

The purpose of this study is to develop theoretically grounded and empirically derived organizational security governance (OSG) objectives. Developing organizational security governance (OSG) objectives pose significant challenges for organizations considering the ever-increasing vulnerability from lack of or misuse of appropriate controls. In recent years, there have been several cases of colossal losses to businesses due to inadequate security governance measure. In many cases, organizations do not even know as to what their ISG objectives might be. Following an extensive empirical study, this paper proposes 6 fundamental and 17 means objectives for designing security governance. The objectives were developed from individual values of information technology and security executives across a wide range of firms. The study comprised 52 interview respondents across 9 firms, which resulted in 23 OSG objectives. Theoretically, the study was grounded in Catton’s (1959) value theory and Keeney’s (1992) value-focused thinking. The objectives provide a useful basis for strategic planning for information security governance.

This research is grounded in value-focused thinking methodology. Step 1: develop a comprehensive list of personal values underlying the problem being explored. The researcher undertakes extensive interviews, using relevant probes, to elicit underlying values of respondents. Step 2: change the values enlisted to a common form and convert them into objectives. The data collected in Step 1 is collated and presented in a common form, which enables cross-comparison and easy interpretation. Step 3: classify the objectives as means and fundamental for the decision context. Objectives are clustered into groups and then classified into fundamental and means.

This study uses a value-focused approach to develop OSG objectives. Incorporating individual values in developing governance objectives would facilitate alignment of individual and organizational values about OSG. This study proposes 6 fundamental and 17 means objectives for OSG. The study provides a comprehensive list of OSG that is rooted in values of stakeholders in an organization.

The main contributions study can be classified in two categories. First, it represents a collective set of OSG objectives which touch upon technical, formal, informal, moral and ethical dimensions of governance. This is a unique, synthesized and cohesive framework for OSG, which incorporates several aspects of OSG into one platform, thus allowing the development of a comprehensive security management program. Second, some of the objectives developed in this research (“establish corporate control strategy”, “establish punitive structure”, “establish clear control development process”, “ensure formal control assessment functionality” and “maximize group cohesiveness”) have not been emphasized enough in security governance literature.

To examine the evolution of health care integration strategies and associated conceptualization and practice through a review and synthesis of over 25 years of international academic research and literature.

A search of the health sciences literature was conducted using PubMed and EMBASE. A total of 114 articles were identified for inclusion and thematically analyzed using a strategy content model for systems-level integration.

Six major, inter-related shifts in integration strategies were identified: (1) from a focus on horizontal integration to an emphasis on vertical integration; (2) from acute care and institution-centered models of integration to a broader focus on community-based health and social services; (3) from economic arguments for integration to an emphasis on improving quality of care and creating value; (4) from evaluations of integration using an organizational perspective to an emerging interest in patient-centered measures; (5) from a focus on modifying organizational and environmental structures to an emphasis on changing ways of working and influencing underlying cultural attitudes and norms; and (6) from integration for all patients within defined regions to a strategic focus on integrating care for specific populations. We propose that underlying many of these shifts is a growing recognition of the value of understanding health care delivery and integration as processes situated in Complex-Adaptive Systems (CAS).

This review builds a descriptive framework against which to assess, compare, and track integration strategies over time.

This chapter outlines current developments in Indian libraries, information services and cultural sector collectively highlighting recent trends and developments as India increasingly takes centre stage in the area of libraries and information literacy development. The chapter also provides a critical analysis of library and information science education in India and highlights the need for government strategies and policies related to public libraries. Some 17 federal states and union territories in the Republic of India have no public library legislation and therefore low literacy rates. India needs public awareness campaigns, civic engagement and community developments including the grass-roots empowerment of public libraries. Financial reforms, modernization and federal funding strategies for public libraries are also required to energize cultural organizations and national libraries. A recent major development is the establishment of a National Commission on Libraries following recommendations by the National Knowledge Commission. However, Indian public libraries do not cater sufficiently for the growing youth population or other strata's of Indian society. The growing Indian higher education sector also necessitates information policies for open access, digital preservation and repositories development.

Social networking sites (SNSs) have established an important presence in our daily lives and at work. This study explores how public service professionals use SNSs and how they perceive the potential of SNSs. This study further examines the relationship between the use of SNSs and social trust and civic participation. Last, this study identifies the challenges and opportunities facing public administration practitioners who use SNSs to build collaboration and promote public interests. Based on the nationwide survey results, this study provides a broader understanding of SNS use among public service professionals. Furthermore, it also provides management recommendations on how public service professionals can make full use of SNSs to facilitate their interactions with other public service professionals and citizens, and foster collaboration to pursue public interests.

The purpose of the present paper is to attempt to examine the determinants of citizens’ electronic participation with respect to the communication aspects. To accomplish this objective, using the extant literature, the paper delineated factors that determine and the theories that can explain citizens’ e-participation. An analysis of citizens’ democratic communication through multiple e-participation forums is carried out, and the determinants of electronic participation are described in the paper.

In light of the literature, e-participation services were classified on the basis of characteristics of democratic communications. The factors that determine citizens’ online democratic participation were also identified and validated. Indian citizens who often e-participate were surveyed through online and offline questionnaires. A regression analysis of the 407 responses was carried out to predict the influence of individual, governance and technology components on various e-participation initiatives.

Citizens’ participation efficacy, value system and participation freedom were found to determine different e-participation initiatives. Further, e-participation is also found to be varyingly determined by the governance and technology components.

The theoretical contribution of this study includes the classification of determining factors and the illustrative labeling (I, G and T) for an e-participation framework. The delineation of e-participation from democratic communication aspects also contributes to the e-participation literature. However, this research had considered only one set of e-participation services and had incorporated only select forms of e-participation that are in coherence with the services selected.

Past studies often consider separate e-participation forums and infrequently report a simultaneous analysis of multiple e-participation forums. The factors that determine citizens’ e-participation from a democratic communication aspect are also inadequately discussed. The significant contribution of this study includes policy recommendations to improve e-participation in different information and communication technologies initiatives.

Researchers in the field recognize the importance of the relationship between contractor and contractee in the process of information technology (IT) outsourcing. However, little is known about the impact of the manager's profile in this process. Thus, the objective of this research was to analyze the impact of the perception of competence, autonomy and relationship of public managers on relational governance (RG), as well as, to identify the effect of perceived control in this relationship.

This study uses a quantitative approach to investigate the impact of the behavioral characteristics of IT managers from the self-determination theory (SDT). The data were collected in Brazilian public institutions active in the areas of education, finance, statistics and technology, and the hypotheses were identified and evaluated using the technique of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

The results identified that managers' self-determination is related to the perception of control, which, consequently, impacts the RG by providing feelings of competence and autonomy capable of building a beneficial relationship with the IT provider.

This study promotes the understanding that upper management needs to support the autonomy of managers to increase their levels of intrinsic motivation when managing supplier deliveries.

The application of SDT to the IT outsourcing context provides new insights into the mediation of perceived control by explaining the relationship between managers' expectations and motivations as an important driver for RG.

Los investigadores en la materia reconocen la importancia de la relación entre contratista y contratado en el proceso de externalización de las tecnologías de la información (TI). Sin embargo, poco se sabe sobre el impacto del perfil del gestor en este proceso. Así, el objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar el impacto de la percepción de competencia, autonomía y relación de los gestores públicos en la gobernanza relacional (GR), así como, identificar el efecto del control percibido en esta relación.

Este estudio utiliza un abordaje cuantitativo para investigar el impacto de las características de comportamiento de los gestores de TI a partir de la teoría de la autodeterminación (TAD). Los datos fueron recolectados en instituciones públicas brasileñas que actúan en las áreas de educación, finanzas, estadística y tecnología, y las hipótesis fueron identificadas y evaluadas utilizando la técnica de modelado de ecuaciones estructurales por mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS-SEM).

Los resultados identificaron que la autodeterminación de los directivos está relacionada con la percepción de control, en consecuencia, repercute en el GR al proporcionar sentimientos de competencia y autonomía capaces de construir una relación beneficiosa con el proveedor de TI.

Este estudio promueve la comprensión de que la alta dirección necesita apoyar la autonomía de los directivos para aumentar sus niveles de motivación intrínseca a la hora de gestionar las entregas de los proveedores.

La aplicación de la teoría de la autodeterminación al contexto de la subcontratación de TI proporciona nuevos conocimientos sobre la mediación del control percibido al explicar la relación entre las expectativas y motivaciones de los directivos como un importante impulsor de la GR.

The purpose of this paper is to enlighten the intriguing process of industry asset consolidation. It is critical for firms to manage their business acquisitions strategically for survival in this industry life cycle process, which develops through multiple company mergers. The companies extensively acquiring industry assets have utilized acquisition programs consisting of both pre-acquisition strategizing and post-acquisition integration; however, the existing literature on acquisition programs focuses on post-acquisition integration activities. This study aims to bridge this gap.

This study focuses on pre-acquisition strategizing of acquisition programs and proposes a model in which an acquiring company could manage its acquisitions for industry asset consolidation over the industry evolution.

Empirically, in the multi-case study of telecommunications infrastructure companies, the authors collect an extensive set of archival records accumulated over the whole industry life-cycle, spanning more than 30 years, and they apply a qualitative data analysis to reveal strategic actions within the companies.

The discoveries elaborate on activities comprising the acquisition process model: social legitimacy, strategic alignment, resource fulfillment, consolidation pursuit and merging.

The counterintuitive findings are that the companies strived to ensure legitimacy early in the telecommunication infrastructure markets before they reached strategic alignment with their owners.

The results extend the understanding of industry asset consolidation as an organization-level phenomenon and show how contextual factors connected to industry life-cycle phases, such as regulatory regimes and financial cycles and industry evolution, influence the attributions of an acquisition program.